Murder hearing told of scuffle but no punches before father's death

A court has been told of a scuffle between a man charged with murder and his father, who collapsed and died.

Michael Ellis Taylor, 45, is charged with the murder of his father Fred Taylor, 68, at a house at Port Noarlunga in Adelaide in the early hours of Tuesday last week.

Michael Taylor has been in custody since his arrest at the scene. He is seeking release on home detention bail.

In the Magistrates Court at Christies Beach, prosecutors opposed bail citing the ongoing police investigation and seriousness of the offence.

Taylor's lawyer, Brian Deegan, told the hearing it was a tragic case and his client had tried to resuscitate his father after the collapse.

"As I understand it my client has given a full statement to police regarding the matter and I believe members of the family have also given statements to police," he said.

"It appears that the death was not occasioned by, or as a direct result of, any violence as such.

"There had been an argument within the home and there had been more than one scuffle. My understanding is there is no violence as such in the form of punching or kicking or anything like that, nothing like that, it was a scuffle."

Mr Deegan said the accused was arguing with his mother as the father went to the front of the house and collapsed.

He said Taylor immediately performed CPR and police arrived soon after.

"When he went to the front of the premises, he found his father on the ground and then then proceeded, and this is confirmed by corroborative evidence from the mother, that he began immediately to perform CPR on his father," the court heard.

"It is absolutely a tragic set of circumstances."

The prosecution alleged the defendant sent text messages of an "abusive nature" to his parents, then arrived at their house about 15 minutes later and banged on their front door.

He allegedly smashed a glass window and there was an altercation between father and son.

The court heard the defendant's mother called police about 12:50am and saw her son and husband wrestling on the kitchen floor.

The court heard Taylor grabbed at his father's shirt as he wrestled with him and was on top as his father lay on his back on the kitchen floor.

The victim's wife allegedly saw her son and husband with blood on their hands, but the court heard the prosecution was not alleging any punches were thrown by either man.

The prosecution alleged the victim was injured during the assault and collapsed a short time later near the front door.

The court heard Mr Taylor had been in good health but with a history of heart disease before his death.

Magistrate Greg Fisher asked the prosecutor if "there is anything at this stage to suggest what the cause of death was?".

The prosecutor said that information would not be available until the autopsy result came through.

Mr Fisher ordered a home detention inquiry report and adjourned the bail application until Friday.